Amherst is led by the senior trio of Emily Foran and co-captains Meg Sullivan and Sarah Godwin. The dynamic threesome combined to fire team-best scores in three of the squad's four tournaments last fall, but their pedigree has much deeper roots. During their rookie campaign in the 2001-02 season, the Jeffs placed third in the NCAA Championship Tournament, while Foran took fourth.
Three years later, with only two weekends remaining in their collegiate careers, the seniors realize that the upcoming season is especially meaningful. The elder Jeffs will have a fitting conclusion as their schedule takes them to two of the top four collegiate golf courses in the nation.
On Friday, the Jeffs play in the Massachusetts State Championships hosted by Mt. Holyoke College. The Lyons' course, The Orchards, played host to the 2004 U.S. Women's Open. "We usually play the course well," said Sullivan. "Plus, it's nice to play the same course that the best women in the world just played."
Following the one-day tournament, the Jeffs will take a turn as hosts for the Northeast Championships, held at Hickory Ridge Country Club of Amherst and The Orchards on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. As the team's primary practice facility, Hickory Ridge should be an advantageous location for Amherst.
To close the season, the women will travel to archrival Williams College the following weekend for a Saturday dual match before the Williams Invitational the next day. Taconic Golf Club, on the Williams campus, was recently chosen as the best college-owned course in the country by Golfweek Magazine.
While the Jeffs frequently battle the Ephs, this is the first season they meet on equal footing, since the team from Williamstown is in its first year as a varsity squad. "It is their first season with a varsity team, so we are excited to see how we match up against the Ephs," said Sullivan.
The seniors will look for help during their farewell tour from junior Melissa Sidman, sophomore Sarah Harper and first-year Ali Berman.
Harper and Berman teamed with the seniors to comprise the five-player roster in every fall tournament. Harper will look to build off of her team-pacing 11th-place finish at Central Connecticut.
With so much experience on their side, the Jeffs look forward to a short but promising spring.
"I know that everyone is excited to finally play this weekend," said Head Coach Jim Plumer. "It's been a long wait but the additional practice has served us well, and I am impressed by the way everyone is playing right now."
Amherst will try to shake off the winter rust at The Orchards on Friday and Sunday and Hickory Ridge on Saturday.